Ready, Aim. . . Sip?

The news that the National Rifle
Association has a wine club, known as the American Cellars Wine Club, caused
quite a flurry, with some pushing (Yalumba, furious at being included, demanded
its wines be withdrawn, and The Wine Club Directory canceled its recommendation)
and some pulling (the NRA removed an open letter on its website from its vice-president, Wayne
LaPierre, which explained how wine purchases “directly support” the group,
before overhauling the wine-club home page, so that participating wineries were
no longer listed upfront; listings, and Wine Spectator-style tasting
notes—Beringer Cabernet: “licorice, chocolate, roasted herbs, sweet oak and
various blue and black fruits”--were only available to members).Given
that the NRA is noted for strident militancy, their reaction seemed a little surprising (though not quite as surprising as the image of “good
ole boys” who “drove their Chevvies to the levee, drinking. . . Chardonnay”?).
The company that handles the actual sales, Vinesse, in southern California,
supervises a number of wine clubs, and also went a little quiet—their page for
the American Cellars Wine Club doesn’t mention the NRA at all.Now
there’s another story, according to The New York Times: 250 members of Congress
belong to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, and are recipients of funds and
hospitality from the Congressional Sports Foundation, a charity that supports
research on wildlife and conservation, as well aslobbying against gun control; members of the
caucus have frequently introduced pro-gun legislation. Major donors to the
charity are Remington, Winchester, Walmart (a major
retailer of guns), and of course the NRA. Among the hospitality events where lobbyists, gun
makers, and politicians mingled last year were the “Stars and Stripes Shootout”
and “Wine, Wheels, and Wildlife.” Wine tastings are regular features of the charity, it seems,
proving at last that wine has finally earned a solid place in American life.
Assyrtiko and AK-47s, anyone?